


Signs Of Drumming.

by cuddlepuss



Category: Frank Iero - Fandom, Gerard Way - Fandom, Mikey Way - Fandom, My Chemical Romance, ray toro - Fandom
Genre: Fiction, General fiction, Introductions & Chapters, Literature, Multi, Mute - Freeform, hearing impared, makaton sign language, prose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-18 00:26:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1408201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuddlepuss/pseuds/cuddlepuss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikey keeps catching a blonde stranger looking at him while the band is practising for an upcoming album they're going to be recording soon.</p><p>Bob is a mute with hearing difficulties that has been taking notice of the young bassist.</p><p>When an accident in the practice room at the studio leaves the band needing a new drummer, who can fit the bill?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Signs Of Drumming.

**Author's Note:**

> An MCR fic with a difference. Contains sign language.

    I blushed as I looked up and caught his eyes on me AGAIN, it's, like,  
the tenth time this morning! I could feel his eyes burning into my head as  
I drank my coffee and ate my Danish pastry.What was it with that guy? Every  
time I looked around he was behind me,beside me, watching, never speaking.  
Was he shy? Did he want something? Finishing my lunch, I went over to him,  
and asked what he wanted. Why was he staring at me? Looking me straight in  
the eye, he he started waving his arms around,his hands forming gestures. I  
recognised this! It's a form of sign language.GOD, I was rusty at this, I  
hadn't used Makaton for years.

   Getting his attention, I slowly, carefully, pointed at my own chest, then,  
praying I was getting it right, I lay three fingers of my right hand across the  
open palm of my left hand. M. Next, I touched the tip of my right pointer finger  
to the tip of my left middle finger. I. Then, I bent my right pointer into an  
arrow shape, and put the bend of it to the center of my erect left pointer. K.  
Then I touched the tip of my left pointer finger with the tip of my right pointer.  
E. Finally, I lay my straight right pointer against my left hand's side, fingers  
straight, thumb splayed.Y.

           M.I.K.E.Y.  
My name.

   Pleased with myself, I put my index and pointer fingers together, and tapped my  
temple, pads inside, before moving them away from my head, turning them round as I  
moved them away. NAME. Then, closing my fist, I held it palm out, towards him. YOURS.

 

       NAME YOURS?

   Grinning broadly, he pointed to himself, and started to move his hands again.  
Watching closely, he placed his both hands in the usual OK sign, then put the points  
of his fingers together. B. Next, he touched his pointer on his right hand to the tip  
of the fing finger on his left hand.O. Then repeated the 'eyemask' that made B.

       B.O.B.  
His name.

   Just then, Gerard shouted to me, it was time to practise again. Beckoning him to follow,I lead Bob up the steps to the rehearsal room. He may not be able to help, but  
he wouldn't find too many people he was able to talk to in our business. Leading the  
way, I was greeted with teasing, hell, I'd expected that. What I hadn't expected, and wouldn't accept, was the way they started to aggravate Bob, who got upset, not being  
able to answer the questions they were putting to him. Putting a hand on his arm,  
I shouted, yes actually shouted, at them to leave him alone.

   Taking a deep breath, I explained to the guys that Bob was mute, as in couldn't  
talk, and that if they wanted to communicate with him, they would have to use Makaton.  
Drawing blank looks from them, I explained that it was a form of sign language, used  
to 'speak' to the deaf and mute.

   Deciding to demonstrate, I  waved to Bob, then, with careful movements, I pointed to  
Gerard, and then, making a fist with each hand, I tapped them together, palms towards me  
one on top of the other,then I touched the tip of my right pointer to the tip of my left  
pointer, curling my right pointer into a semicircle, I rest it on my left palm, then touched the tip of my right pointer to the tip of my left thumb, made the same semicircle with my right hand, laying it, once more, on my left palm, before finally making a semicircle with my right hand, touching it to the side of my straight left pointer.

     G.E.R.A.R.D.

   Pointing to the next man in the room, I again made a semicircle with my right pointer, and laid it on my left palm, touched the tip of my right pointer to the tip of my left thumb, then lay my straight pointer on my right hand one the side of my left hand, left fingers straight,thumb spread apart.

     R.A.Y.

   Repeating myself once more, I pointed to the last man, laying the index and pointer fingers of my right hand onto the backs of my index and pointers of my left hand. Then, again, the right pointer formed that semicircle resting on the left palm, touched the tip of my right pointer to the tip of my left thumb, laid two right fingers across my left palm, then formed the bend in my right pointer, before touching it to my straight left pointer.

    F.R.A.N.K.

   Taking Bob's arm, I lead him to a seat, and touched my finger to my lips in the universal sign for quiet. Nodding, Bob sat himself down, and folded his arms, looking pleased to have been accepted.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

   Halfway through afternoon rehearsals, disaster struck, big time. The staging that the drum kit had been set up on collapsed, taking the drummer, and drums, with it. Bob, facing us all, had seen it starting to move, and, springing forwards, had pushed Gerard out of harms way, leaving him bruised and surprised, but otherwise unharmed.

   The same couldn't be said for our drummer, he needed to get to the hospital, fast. One of the pieces of drum support had gone through his thigh, sticking out of the back at an awkward angle. Again, Bob came forwards, tearing off his white shirt, and wadding it into a tight pad, before wrapping it around the drummer's leg.

It wasn't just the drummer though, the drums were also fucked. Skins torn by the framework and staging, we all, the band and I, stood cursing and staring at the devastation in front of us. FUCK, now what were we going to do for rehearsals? Just then, Bob came over, tugging at my sleeve, signing what's wrong? Distracted, it took me three attempts to explain about the recording we should be doing the following week, and how we now had no drums or drummer.

   Suddenly looking thoughtful, Bob grabbed my arm, and started to drag me away,beckoning for the others to follow us. With no idea where he was leading us, but not much else we could do, we tagged along behind him, following as he lead us to this big room, in a different part of the studio.

   Entering the room Bob had lead us to, we all stopped, astounded, as he proudly pointed to an impressive drum kit, mounted and ready for use, set into it's own stage frame, with space in front for all the other instruments a band would need. Spinning to Bob, I signed out a question, 'Who does this belong to?' 

   In the short time I'd known him, Id never seen Bob look quite so bashful, as he drew pictures in the carpet with his toes, glanced around at everyone, and tapped himself on the chest. HIS? This was HIS? Catching his attention again, I signed another question 'Who play's it?' Even more bashful now,he shyly tapped his chest again. Gerard, snorting with sarcastic laughter, said "Of COURSE he does, every mute can play the drums."

    Giving Gerard a look of almost loathing, Bob strode forward, and, settling at the drums,and picking up the drumsticks, he set off a blistering rhythm of speed and agility that left us all in the dust of our doubts. Seeing the look on Gerard's face, I let loose a peal of laughter, I couldn't help it. He was absolutely stunned! Completely gob smacked. Going over to the drums, I gave Bob a thumbs up. GOOD.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________  
    
 Smiling, Bob emerged from behind the drums,  came over, and, standing in front of Gerard, he made his right hand into a fist with his thumb sticking out, and, patting his left palm twice onto his right fist base he then pushed his right thumb over his right shoulder. I just doubled up laughing, Gerard didn't know it yet, but Bob had just told him to fuck off! Looking severely bewildered, the others looked to me to explain why I was laughing. That just made me laugh all the harder, Bob and I could have so much fun with this!

   Gasping for breath, I said that Bob had just told Gerard to swallow that. Frowning, Bob started to shake his head,when he caught my eye, and grinning himself, changed it to a nod. Frowning himself now, Gerard was looking from one of us to the other. Frank wanted to know how I knew sign language, and Ray nodded at this, he wanted to know too. Gerard, looking faintly ashamed of himself, said when we were kids there was a mute lived nearby,  
I'd been a friend, and so had learned the language, whereas he hadn't been bothered. Now, seeing how useful I was finding it, he regretted not having taken the opportunity.

   Grinning, Bob took some cards out of his pocket, and, winking at me, handed them around to the others,smirking when they did double takes as they read what was written there. Snitching one myself, I felt a beaming grin splitting my face as I, too, read his card. Fuck! The guy that they'd all been taking the mickey out of was the state's master sign language tutor! No wonder he was unhappy with Gerard's looking down on him, he was  
probably the brightest of the lot of us. The other's had the grace to look slightly abashed.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

    Walking away, Bob had only gotten five paces into the corridor when Frank caught up to him, looking down at Frank,Bob indicated for him to speak. Frank was stuck, he didn't know sign, and didn't, therefore, know how to converse with Bob. Bob had another surprise up his sleeve, placing his two thumbs side by side in front his lips, he let out a really piercing whistle, startling Frank, and bringing the rest of us running. Staring, open mouthed, at Bob,Frank croaked that he was wondering if Bob was busy for the next couple days. Maybe he could fill in while we looked around for a replacement drummer. Muttering about being rude to people, I refused to help until they thought about their manners some more.

   Going forward, I signed to Bob that I wanted to buy him a coffee, would he come? Bringing his closed fist up,he put it, palm out, in front of himself, and bent the wrist forwards. Yes. So, leading the way, I headed us away from Gerard, Ray and Frank, to the studio canteen, where I got us both coffee's. Sitting, I was surprised to see how many people were acknowledging Bob, and found myself getting more curious about him. Getting deep into conversation with him, we didn't even notice the rest of the band joining us, so intent were we on our finger flying conversation.

   Looking round with a start when someone poked me in the ribs, I saw they'd joined us, and, looking back to Bob,found him gulping down the rest of his coffee, as if suddenly in a hurry to leave. Scowling at my brother, I placed a hand on Bob's arm, halting his racing movements, and asking his rush. Glaring at Gerard, he signed that he didn't  
like the new company, and needed to get into the fresh air. Smiling a little, I mimicked his movements, and we left the guys at the table.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

   Once outside, I heard footsteps, and, sighing and spinning to face our follower, I saw Ray, looking slightly wary, as he came over. Stopping a few feet away from Bob and I, Ray asked why we wouldn't sit with them, even for coffee.Bob, reading Ray's lips, signed that he was fed up with the small minded bigotry that Gerard in particular had displayed, and had no desire to be cloistered with one for any longer than necessary. Translating, I told Ray what Bob had just said. Sprinting off, Ray shouted over his shoulder for us to stay put. Shrugging, I signed Ray's comment to Bob, and we sat on some nearby walls to await whatever ray had in mind, we continued to talk.

   Hearing footsteps, I looked round to see a fed up looking Gerard heading our way. Snorting with disgust, Bob got to his feet, only for Gerard to call to me to stop him, please, he HAD to talk to Bob, and had to do it now.Reluctantly, I signed for Bob to wait a minute. With a meaningful look in my direction, he sat again on his wall,and watched Gerard come over.

   The first thing Gerard asked was for me to translate for him, it was vital he not mess this up. Nodding agreement,I started to take more notice of Gerard's mood. Reaching a hand out to Bob, in a strangely plea like gesture,Gerard began to speak. "Please, Bob, I'm sorry. I didn't know, didn't understand what it would seem like, all those little wise cracks of mine. I wouldn't have said them if I'd thought how they'd come across, honestly I wouldn't. I used to get bullied myself. I'd never pick on someone else for something they couldn't help. Forgive me."

   My fingers flying, trying to keep up with the speed Gerard was talking at, I saw Bob's eyes getting moist, glistening with unashamed tears. Wait, hold it, had Gerard just made him CRY? Concerned, I signed Bob what was wrong? Shaking his head, he was gazing at Gerard as if he'd never seen him before,a look of surprise on his face. Gerard, seeing this, asked me, worriedly, what was up. I drew Bob's attention back to me once more, and again asked what was wrong. Shuddering, and sniffing back a sob, he signed that no-one had ever apologised - to him - before. Surging to his feet, he strode over to Gerard, and, grasping him in a tight hug, he made a strange, wheezing sound in his throat, before letting go of Gerard, and sitting, bashfully, back beside me on the wall.

   Embarrassed himself now, Gerard smiled self-consciously, and sat on the wall opposite, talking more slowly, more calmly,and I signed out a rough translation of what he was asking.    Grinning hugely, and nodding like his head was on a spring, Bob agreed to Gerard's request without hesitation. It looked like MCR had just found itself it's replacement drummer.

  

   THE END.


End file.
